[teadra143]

im having so many side effects from lexapro

*Teadra*

[antonio]

Thanks so much tamra for the info...i swear everytime i read your post i feel happier

Today i just couldnt focus at all its day 11 and i feel way out of it....smoking half cigs and feeling woozy and retarded at times ...wierd huh...I was taking a b complex along with omega fish oils...i had stopped them the last couple daze and kinda felt better...One other thing i want to note is that sometimes usually later on at night the symptoms just disappear!! but as soon as i say wow i feel great it nails me again I am trying to be strong about the whole ordeal and wish these days can pass quicker since i am traveling on business and can hardly focus with my clients....

I also have been getting those ringing in the ears!! damn its like your were on the same path as me...Its soo cool since as i read your updates i see that things just turn for the best....

I want to note tamara that i am a bipolar 1 and am on lamictal 300mg at the moment....my pdoc told me that getting rid of lexapro would be for the better....but with these hardcore withdrawl symptoms i get really paranoid and think " should i have really stopped?" i know its hard but i am a fighter and want to get this poison i have been taking for 5 years out of my life....

I also read about your meals ...i barely have an appetite and feel dizzy when i eat too much...I want this all to pass asap...and i really want to thank you for your kickass insight since i feel that you went through the same ordeal as me...

THis might be a bit sensitive but i want to ask if the sexual sideffects go away too...i really want to return and enjoy my time with my GF.

To all that are withdrawing...there is a light at the end of this horrid tunnel and with the support of all these great members you too can kick this habit....it might feel hopeless and exhausting but the benifits are worth it...

Teadra... when i was on lexapro i had soo many different side effects some of them included.. increased anxiety and panic...bad sexual side effects, nausea, stomach pains and many more...i advise you to see your doc and find a solution instead of going through your bad time...

is this your first time on lexapro if so how many weeks have you been on it?? cuz the first weeks the side effects can hit pretty hard...i wish you the best

tamara please fill me in more since your posts keep me going....

thank you all...
ciao

Lets do this....

[debbie724]

auntybiotic, I tried to email you in every way possible... yahoo.com, hotmail.com, etc. If you have still not rec'd my email... please email me at d.menocal@comcast.net Talk to you soon.

debbie

[tamra]

Mornin' All! Happy Spring! lol(snow on the ground again!) We've all made it thru another day, nite, weekend...it's happening...lexapro free.

I forgot to tell you all...I had a "BEER" the other day! It was pretty uneventful! lol It tasted good. That's it! Thank goodness I'm back to being part of the "rest of the world!"

Antonio..you'll be coming "out of it soon"! Pretend you're a teenager again...and don't inhale the smoke! lol You'll be thinking clearly by midweek....(this feels like I'm writing a horoscope!). About the "SEX" thing...It's alot different. If I were single and with a boyfriend, I would probably feel like an entirely different person. I've been married for 7 years..and have a 6 yr old & 3 yr old. Balancing "momie duties" 24/7 and the occasional opportunity to feel like a "woman" isn't easy..but it does happen...much more frequently than before. From a woman's standpoint..I'm not used to being so sensitive and everything happening so "easy". I'm sure that as soon as you are finished feeling [xx(] you'll be ready to take on the world! [:I]

Aunty..thoughts my thoughts and prayers are with you. I've struggled thru many of life's situations wondering why..sometimes there are no answers. Years later you may look back on a situation and have your answers and sometimes not. I do have religious beliefs and I realize that there is a "plan" for each of us. We can't skip ahead to read the end of the book to see how the ending is...we are only given one page at a time. You've been a huge help to me since I've started this roller coaster ride. thank you. You've made a difference in my life!



Live every day to it's fullest!

[sarita]

RINGING IN THE EARS- i get those ON the lexipro.
To know i will soon be able to feel again, to enjoy sex again, to be creative again, to be passionate and feel alive again(and i'm a latina!! can you imagine what i'm goin through???)

I'm so proud of ALL you guys tapering. I prefer to look at it as me not being scared to start but being SMART and doing alot of research.
I'm waiting for my supplements to arrive and then i will begin the procedure. There's no way i can miss work after missing 5 months last year. Have ya'll been able to work and go through the w/d?????

[mhillqt]

I think its great that you all are able to taper...but what about the original issues/symptoms that drove you to lexapro...are you all magically healed?

Michael

[dizzy23]

quote:Originally posted by mhillqt

I think its great that you all are able to taper...but what about the original issues/symptoms that drove you to lexapro...are you all magically healed?

Michael

There are many many life issues that can cause someone to be put on depression meds...sure almost everyone has a different story.Everyone has different stressers in thier life.Many just changed depression med's not got off them all together.

Debbie

Try to be correct!But not always successful!

[rcknkttn]

I am so glad I found this forum I am in about a week and a half of not taking my 20mg lexapro and am having most of the symptons that other people have listed here I am glad to know that is normal to experience these effects after going of the lexapro and that it will go away thank you so much to those that have posted there experiences it was very helpful to me!

[debbie724]

tamra, please keep up with your daily story telling... it keeps more of us going than you will ever know!

To everyone new to this journey of withdrawaling from lexapro... I am just over three months lexapro free and I am on an uphill journey these past several days. It truly is a VERY exhausting, trying, scarey roller coaster ride. One day you feel fine... the next you are depressed... out of no where anytime you find yourself crying... or getting pissed off at things that usually would not make you angry! I can tell you now from my experience that it does get better. Each and every episode becomes less severe than the last. You do have to keep your head up and keep a positive outlook though. It's hard... but it will happen. One day you will look back at your posts here and see how much you have changed... as did I. Keep you chins up!

Hello to all of my dear friends... Mr Spock, auntybiotic, Redbled, Miss Lee, Mohannie, etc., etc. and of course tamra!

debbie

[Cincygal]

Hi all,
I am just reporting in.... I am STILL tapering off Lexapro - it's been a couple of months going from 10mg to 0. I'd say the pills that I cut are now about 2mgs. Though it's taking a long time - I think it's worth it because I feel good. I'm also taking Weil's Omega 3 supplements. I can't wait to be off of Lexapro completely!!!

[Gapske]

Michael,
Are you being sarcastic when you ask that question?

quote:Originally posted by mhillqt

I think its great that you all are able to taper...but what about the original issues/symptoms that drove you to lexapro...are you all magically healed?

Michael

[Gapske]

Teadra,
How are you doing? How much are you taking? What are your side effets? We're here to help!

quote:Originally posted by teadra143

im having so many side effects from lexapro

*Teadra*

[sarita]

any of you guys JUST tapering LEXIPRO and ON NO OTHER DRUG????

michael,
i understand your concern---i think you're saying once you're off meds will you be cured? No one knows, at least that's what my doc says. i think there are two options: stay on it if you feel okay and are happy or go through the w/d and if you feel good, then you don't need it. if you still have symptoms after the w/d and completion of the taper, then you might want to talk to your doctor or decide for yourself what is right for you. FOR ME? I HATE THIS ****!!!! it's done alot of good for me at the time i needed it, but I CAN"T FEEL ANYTHING. I CAN"T CONNECT WITH ANYONE. I"M NOT ENJOYING THE PASSION OF LIFE. i think i'd rather have anxiety attacks now and then. and cry at PMS time, and get mad when i need to let it out then be numb through life. so, i'm going to start these supplements and start the w/d process.

Cincy,
Did you do a slow taper all along? And you felt okay through all of it w/the omega 3?. I mean, could you work and function?

Debbie,
You're on other meds besides lexipro right?

[Cincygal]

I am on no other medicine besides the Lexapro --- well I take an asthma inhaler.... I began Lexapro 1.5 years ago for severe PMS. I gained 20 pounds the first 6 months on Lexapro and since being on it I have gained a total of 30 pounds in the 1.5 years! That's for the birds!

I began from 20mg going to 10mg, and I felt dizzy, headachey, and nauseous after that taper. After reading the great information on this website - I slowed my tapering way down and have not been ill since. At first I did not take Omega 3 and I am not 100% consistent with it. I would say my success comes more from a slow taper than the Omega 3.

Best wishes everyone!

[mhillqt]

Its a hard decision to get on the meds and then hard to come off.....I have severe panic disorder that causes me to blackout.....medication and diet/excercise/meditation/prayer has helped in the past but it doesnt seem to do the trick anymore BUT I dont know if I come off the meds if I will get even worse.....im very functional - ie have a corp job, etc but have a very isolated life outside of work and dont travel the world or even go to local parties anymore....so, Im afraid to stay on the meds and afraid to come off...Im only on 5 mg of lexapro....my doctor thinks I need to go up to 10 but I dont think I want that.....confused as to what to do.....I feel that maybe now is the time to experiment with lexapro becuase If I come off and then do worse, I will then have to start from scratch again.....who knows....

Michael

[Karl1000]

Michael,

If it works for you and you are not experiancing too many side effects why stop? Some people need this stuff more than others. Many DRs hand this stuff like candy and many probably shouldnt even have started it to begin with. Feling guilty about taking a drug like this when you might need it would not be a good reason to stop IMHO. From your previous post you are right we all started this for a reason and I can only speak for myself when I say I am hardly cured of the condition I started Lexapro because. I have OCD. Not alot of fun. Unfortunatly Lexapro side effects such as Agitation and Insomnia that wouldnt go away led me to the decision to stop it. I couldnt even get past 5mgs. People with my condition take up to 40mgs before seeing improvement.
Good luck with the battle.
Karl

[sarita]

michael,
i feel for you. it's such a difficult decision. why do you want to go off the meds? if you have SEVERE anxiety and black out, that's pretty serious. i don't have nearly, even close to what you are experiencing and i'm on 5 mg., so i can imagine what you are going through. not being able to go to parties, etc...that's terrible.

[sarita]

does anyone have some short term memory loss on lexipro?? or is it like your just in a fog and can't remember or vaguely remember or it comes back within a few minutes?

[mhillqt]

I would stay on the meds if I felt that I was better but I still blacked out while on my low dosage of prozac(ie 7.5mg) and then switched over to lexapro after being on prozac for years and its only been 4 weeks but instead of getting better, I felt I was getting worse in terms of anxiety at 5mg and didnt really want to start playing the "up" the dosage game and potentially be at a point of no return....since 5 mg of lexapro is approx equal to 15 mg of prozac, I felt the same on the 7.5 mg prozac(with no sexual or weight gain issues)....so, I didnt take lexapro last night but may start the prozac again since it seems to work just as well at lower dosages vs lexapro eventhough I still panic/etc but it manages my mood well....maybe I will just see what its like to be medfree for awhile....it might be the same as well.....

Michael

[sarita]

michael,
if it's only been 4 weeks since switching, i think you should give it a chance. didn't the doctor tell you it takes at least 6 weeks for it to work and stop side effects?

quote:Originally posted by mhillqt

I would stay on the meds if I felt that I was better but I still blacked out while on my low dosage of prozac(ie 7.5mg) and then switched over to lexapro after being on prozac for years and its only been 4 weeks but instead of getting better, I felt I was getting worse in terms of anxiety at 5mg and didnt really want to start playing the "up" the dosage game and potentially be at a point of no return....since 5 mg of lexapro is approx equal to 15 mg of prozac, I felt the same on the 7.5 mg prozac(with no sexual or weight gain issues)....so, I didnt take lexapro last night but may start the prozac again since it seems to work just as well at lower dosages vs lexapro eventhough I still panic/etc but it manages my mood well....maybe I will just see what its like to be medfree for awhile....it might be the same as well.....

Michael

[mhillqt]

He did say 6 weeks....but at 4 weeks, i feel its gotten worse not better - Im not having side effects just more panic/anxiety as the weeks go on etcc..... after knowing how ssris effect me(from my years on prozac)...this feels like its reach its full potential....my gut is telling me that at 5 mg, this is not going to get better and I would probably have to start upping the dosage....I dont think the 6 week rule is hard and fast but I will see him tonight and discuss....its only been 1 day since im off of it....and if anything, i can always go back on my 5 mg of prozac which seems to have the same effect as 5 mg of lexapro...

Michael

[sarita]

michael,
see what the doctor says. only you know your body. no one else.
not even the doctor. listen to him, of course, but you decide....
my doc wanted to put me on 10 mg. i tried it for a week, and my
body said, no, this is too much, and took myself down to 5 mg and been on 5 mg. ever since. 20 lbs later, and no sex drive and no enjoyment of life is making me get off. but you have anxiety attacks.
i only had them once in a while...see what your doc says. and good luck. don't worry, everything's going to be okay. it's the not knowing that makes anxiety and worry.

quote:Originally posted by mhillqt

He did say 6 weeks....but at 4 weeks, i feel its gotten worse not better - Im not having side effects just more panic/anxiety as the weeks go on etcc..... after knowing how ssris effect me(from my years on prozac)...this feels like its reach its full potential....my gut is telling me that at 5 mg, this is not going to get better and I would probably have to start upping the dosage....I dont think the 6 week rule is hard and fast but I will see him tonight and discuss....its only been 1 day since im off of it....and if anything, i can always go back on my 5 mg of prozac which seems to have the same effect as 5 mg of lexapro...

Michael

[mhillqt]

thanks sarita...my doctor is very understanding and is open to my ideas....which is good...you were taking lexapro for depression?

Michael

[tamra]

Sarita....the fog....definitely! I find myself just shaking my head..what was I thinking? I had a permission slip for my son to go on a fieldtrip..put $3 in the "signed" part of the slip, tape it and put it back into the backpack. Instead, I taped the "signed" part to the fridge! Ok, lets try this again! I used to refer to these infrequent snaffooo's as "blonde spells" but I haven't been "blonded" in quite a few years...I think I go back to blonde just to have a reason for this "fog" that I walk into.

I've had the dull headache for 3 days. I've been taking my own advice and staying away from the computer and making a difference in my life, our home, and the life of my family....I've been painting the crayon marks on the walls. I'd like to get all of the inside spring cleaning and redecorating finished so it's not hanging over my head when the weather gets warm. I haven't felt the rush of energy in a little while. It's possible that I am just stabilizing into a routine and not being effected by the "mania" cleaning sprees anymore. I just seem to be going on with the mom duties until bedtime. I haven't been shopping or Ebaying in quite awhile. There isn't much opportunity to feel the rush and immediate satisfaction of impulsive shopping...which is good news for the wallet. This was quite a problem for awhile. I could convince myself that I needed anything. I was definitely addicted to Ebay and the rush of buying.

Come to think of it....there is absolutely nothing exciting going on right now! Very blah, boring, un-inspiring. (yes, its cloudy, and chilly & snow flurries). Somebody send me some sun!! I know it's only a matter of minutes before my 3 yr old destroys something else that will take me an hour to clean up..so I'll enjoy my peace and quiet.

Antonio-How's it going? Did you survive?



Live every day to it's fullest!

[Gapske]

Sarita,
I am currently 36 days Lexapro free and not taking anything else. I feel so good right now. The withdrawal symptoms are gone and I feel like I can enjoy life again, good or bad.

Also, you asked about memory loss? When I was on Lex. I had terrible memory loss. I couldn't remember things from one minute to the next, it was awful. Things are better in that area also. If I forget what I was going to do or say, it comes back to me quickly, not like before where I would just completely forget.

quote:Originally posted by sarita

any of you guys JUST tapering LEXIPRO and ON NO OTHER DRUG????

michael,
i understand your concern---i think you're saying once you're off meds will you be cured? No one knows, at least that's what my doc says. i think there are two options: stay on it if you feel okay and are happy or go through the w/d and if you feel good, then you don't need it. if you still have symptoms after the w/d and completion of the taper, then you might want to talk to your doctor or decide for yourself what is right for you. FOR ME? I HATE THIS ****!!!! it's done alot of good for me at the time i needed it, but I CAN"T FEEL ANYTHING. I CAN"T CONNECT WITH ANYONE. I"M NOT ENJOYING THE PASSION OF LIFE. i think i'd rather have anxiety attacks now and then. and cry at PMS time, and get mad when i need to let it out then be numb through life. so, i'm going to start these supplements and start the w/d process.

Cincy,
Did you do a slow taper all along? And you felt okay through all of it w/the omega 3?. I mean, could you work and function?

Debbie,
You're on other meds besides lexipro right?

[mhillqt]

When does the withdrawal from lexapro start....I am now off 2 days and dont feel any withdrawal yet...just my regular anxiety creeping back....i was on 5 mgs for 4 weeks but on 7.5 prozac for years prior to switching over to lexapro 4 weeks ago...something tells me that the withdrawal OR original symptoms stuff will start appearing in the next day or so....I might just go back to prozac if that happens, esp if the original symptoms come back worse than when I was on meds.

Michael

[Gapske]

Michael,
I can tell that your situation is very complex and I wouldn't really know where to go from where you are. I was just taken aback by your "magically healed" comment.

Are the blackouts causing the anxiety? I remember when I had my first panic attack 8 years ago. I was in the grocery store with my then 4yr old son and I bent down to pick up something, had some vertigo and my body flew into panic. I had never experienced anything like it. How I managed to drive home I'll never know.

I had some talk therapy which was good and I saw that I was afraid of that happening again to me, which caused the anxiety. I was continually anxious, waiting for the next panic attack. What a cycle.

I don't feel "magically healed." I feel better, stronger mentally, ready to face what my fears are rather than masking them. I feel like I can experience life again, the good, the bad and the ugly. But at least I will be EXPERIENCING it. I look back at my last 2 years and think "what a waste." I was a blob!

I began the Lexapro at 10 mg. it was fine for awhile, then I upped to 20. That was good and accidently was taking 30 for awhile. Whew, was that a wierd experience. The dr. said there have not been any studies done to show what happens at anything above 20.

It sounds like with the Lexapro you would need to up your dosage, but you don't sound like you want to do that. I really feel for you in whatever decision you make.
I often think of how short life is, and that at any moment I could be gone. For me, I'm trying to live in the moment rather then expecting the moments.
Keep in touch.

[Gapske]

Tamra,
You and I seem to be at the same spot.

I think you said it right when you wrote "It's possible that I am just stabilizing into a routine and not being effected by the "mania."

I feel very much stabilized and back to a former shadow of myself.

This past weekend I went to my parents. While out snowshoeing alone I decided to stop and listen, take in my surroundings. It was the best spiritual experience I've had in years. I felt so good! I felt like I could do anything, be anything. I knew that I had finally come to the end of my withdrawal symptoms and that I was making huge changes in my life.

I listened to the wind traveling through the forest, listened to the birds of spring, took in the fresh crisp air and I stood and faced the noon day sun, closed my eyes and let the warmth sink in.

I know I'm sounding dorky, I just want everyone to realize that no matter what you're going through, there is something sweet and pure for you to experience if you only let yourself experience it.

[Gapske]

I'm sure it's been different for everyone, for me it was appx. 4-5 days when it really hit. But for me I had dropped from 20mgs. to 10mgs., then started taking the 10 every other day after a month. Started to feel so good after 5 days, stopped altogether. (Very dumb of me, but not knowing any better and not finding this site until I was well in to the withdrawal.)

I wonder if your withdrawal effects will be different since you were on Prozac all those years.

quote:Originally posted by mhillqt

When does the withdrawal from lexapro start....I am now off 2 days and dont feel any withdrawal yet...just my regular anxiety creeping back....i was on 5 mgs for 4 weeks but on 7.5 prozac for years prior to switching over to lexapro 4 weeks ago...something tells me that the withdrawal OR original symptoms stuff will start appearing in the next day or so....I might just go back to prozac if that happens, esp if the original symptoms come back worse than when I was on meds.

Michael

[bluegeorgia]

Hi everyone,

I last posted on this forum about 2 months ago. I, too, have tapered down from 20 mg over the course of the last three months. As of Sunday night, I am now completely off of the medication.

I have had no withdrawal effects this time around until this afternoon when I started feeling dizzy and spaced out. I keep thinking I'm going to black out completely. Has anyone else experienced this as part of the withdrawal symptoms???

Thanks!